In a third and final phase, the week-by-week detailed program schedule containing the exact
exercises and motivation talks for the nine-month training program was collectively elaborated with
a team of 17 meditation teachers and psychotherapists recruited as instructors for the
The team of teachers brought in a variety of additional expertise ranging from different
psychotherapeutic practices (e.g., Cognitive Therapy, Gestalt Therapy, Acceptance and
Commitment Therapy, Internal Family Systems Therapy, etc.) to long-term meditation experiences
in different Buddhist traditions (Zen, Theravada, Tibetan Buddhism, etc.) and conflict resolution
practices (e.g., Non-Violent Communication, see
Non-Violent Communication in this
volume). With collective efforts of the protocol development team, the team of teachers and
additional experts, the ReSource Protocol in its present form was finalized in countless workshops
and individual labor over a period of another six months.
At the time of publication of this book, the ReSource Protocol has been completed in its first
version but we are certain that it will be continuously refined in the coming years according to the
experiences made while teaching, the respective needs of the participants and particularities of
given future studies or training settings.
The Structure of the ReSource Program
The ReSource Model (see Figure 1) has been developed as a foundation for this nine-month
longitudinal study. The psychological and neuroscientific concepts that form the backbone of this
training program are explained in more detail in
. The ReSource Model conceives
compassion as an overall attitude to life and dissects this concept into three broad domains of
underlying dispositions and skills needed for a compassionate way of being. The first domain is
called “Presence”, that is, the ability to turn towards and stay with the experience of the present
moment. This forms the basis for the deliberate cultivation of mind states through formal practice
and is indispensable for the skills and dispositions of the other domains to become effective in real-
life settings. Key components in this domain are attention regulation and awareness of body
sensations. The second domain is called “Affect”. This comprises the ability to generate or open
towards feelings of warmth and benevolence for oneself and others, the ability to accept difficult
emotions, as well as to cultivate prosocial motivations. The third domain is called “Perspective” and
comprises more cognitive skills, such as taking a metaperspective on thoughts and the self, as well
as assuming other people’s perspectives.
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